“No reason” XCOM: Enemy Unknown would be toned down for consoles

Calming the fears of the PC elite, lead designer Jake Solomon has said XCOM: Enemy Unknown doesn’t need to be altered for consoles.

“There’s no reason to pull any punches with any platform, because, when it comes to input, XCOM is not particularly complicated,” Solomon told PC Gamer of the game’s multi-platform release.’

Developer Firaxis has a history of releasing titles tailored to one platform or another, specifically the PC-exclusive Civilization, and it’s gamepad and touch friendly spin-off Civilization Revolution – but Solomon doesn’t feel that’s necessary with XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

“I don’t feel the need to streamline any aspects of gameplay because the player’s interaction with the game experience is still simple,” he said.

In the same interview, Solomon gave an account of how he and legendary designer Sid Meier collaborate on the game.

“He and I interact on an almost daily basis. I say ‘Look, I have this problem. What do you think I should do?’ and he’s a very gifted designer. He can look at a situation and he can say ‘have you tried this?’ And I’ll be like, ‘oh, that’s really good,'” he said.

“I claim all the credit for it, but I rely on him so much. I’m now to the point where I can basically hear his voice in my head, which is probably not healthy.”

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is expected on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in norther autumn. It combines real time and turn-based strategy with RPG elements and action-flavoured combat.